Two WU students accepted into Teach for America program

After graduating this spring, Brad Schultz and Candace Hamar will spend two years teaching disadvantaged youths through the Teach for America program.

The competitive program is open to recent college graduates, who are given jobs in rural or inner-city schools across the nation.

Hamar, who was assigned to teach middle school or high school math in Memphis, Tenn., says she’s both nervous and excited to move across the country to become a full-time teacher.

“I am choosing to look at the experience as an adventure as well as an intense learning experience,” says Hamar, a music major with an emphasis in education. “Joining Teach for America means joining a community of current and past members, resulting in a network of support as I complete my two-year commitment and beyond.”

Schultz, a sociology major, values the opportunity to gain real-world experience and to give back to a community in need.

In August, he will move to Denver or Colorado Springs, Colo., where he will teach general science to middle school or high school students — all while pursuing a master’s degree in education.

Both students plan to make teaching into a career. Hamar wants to become a music teacher after completing a master’s degree program, and Schultz is interested in becoming an administrator and football coach.

Through Teach for America, he hopes to become familiar with the education system and to later use his experience to advocate educational reforms.

“I hope that I will be able to create a safe and healthy learning atmosphere for students, while also empowering them and encouraging them through their educational pathways,” Schultz says.